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Do more thought-provoking and intellectual games have the same effect?


Velrias

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Hey,

 

So I've been becoming more aware of how video games affect us (have played them all my life). Looking at this website and others it seems like it can really effect your mood, brain and general life.

Thing is, I'm wondering do more thought-provoking and intellectual games do the same thing? I'm thinking like indie games like Virginia, Kentucky Route Zero, Gone Home etc. They don't have violence and take a different approach.

Or are they ultimately the same as all other games as they are still games, and still take up your time?

 

Thanks 

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From my perspective, the video games themselves aren't evil. It's our relationship with said games that create the problem. There's nothing wrong with playing video games at the end of the day. The issue arises when we start to play the games in excess and to reap the negative effects of said excess. This applies to all games, thought-provoking or otherwise. As unlikely as it may be, a person can have a toxic relationship with a game as simple as Tetris if they spend enough time playing it to the detriment of their overall life. Hope this helps

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I agree with Paul in it being very much about the person's individual relationship with video gaming. The same can be said for pornography, social media, smoking cannabis etc. And similar to what you're talking about in your post OP, people can choose to watch pornography that isn't intensely graphic, and that takes into account a female perspective for example. Or social media which is educational and life-affirming.

I know there are people out there who would say these things are still inherently bad for you or a waste of time, regardless of how you use them or the "genre" of use that you choose. And hey, they might be right in many cases. Personally though I think that's for each of us to decide and requires ongoing and honest reflection on how it's working for us.  
 

On 7/15/2022 at 6:54 PM, Velrias said:

Or are they ultimately the same as all other games as they are still games, and still take up your time?

This part of your post stood out to me though. 

I think if it takes up so much time that there are little other hobbies in your life, or if it consistently takes time away from spending quality time with people in your life then it can be an issue. But one that could be solved by choosing to spend more time doing other things and breaking up the sessions. 

Edited by blueclouds
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On 7/16/2022 at 12:46 AM, Paul A. said:

From my perspective, the video games themselves aren't evil. It's our relationship with said games that create the problem. There's nothing wrong with playing video games at the end of the day. The issue arises when we start to play the games in excess and to reap the negative effects of said excess. This applies to all games, thought-provoking or otherwise. As unlikely as it may be, a person can have a toxic relationship with a game as simple as Tetris if they spend enough time playing it to the detriment of their overall life. Hope this helps

Thanks Paul, a great comment

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On 7/20/2022 at 3:51 AM, blueclouds said:

I agree with Paul in it being very much about the person's individual relationship with video gaming. The same can be said for pornography, social media, smoking cannabis etc. And similar to what you're talking about in your post OP, people can choose to watch pornography that isn't intensely graphic, and that takes into account a female perspective for example. Or social media which is educational and life-affirming.

I know there are people out there who would say these things are still inherently bad for you or a waste of time, regardless of how you use them or the "genre" of use that you choose. And hey, they might be right in many cases. Personally though I think that's for each of us to decide and requires ongoing and honest reflection on how it's working for us.  
 

This part of your post stood out to me though. 

I think if it takes up so much time that there are little other hobbies in your life, or if it consistently takes time away from spending quality time with people in your life then it can be an issue. But one that could be solved by choosing to spend more time doing other things and breaking up the sessions. 

Thanks also blueclouds, great comment, and I would agree, it feels like each of us have our own individual experience, and we must figure it out in our journey 

All the best both 

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For me its pretty simple. Everything which is fun and leads me to not do my tasks is bad for me. I could restart with any game I want, as long as it doesnt influence my life. I am not the guy for ‚uh I could use those hours for something else!‘. I have certain goals in life and thats what matters. I dont add or delete anything every week. 

The truth is even stuff which is no fun, but leads you relax like reading a boring book or so can prevent you from doing your tasks. Thats why I have that one rule: Do what you want, but you must do your tasks. Some people which are new to all this qutting games etc. tend to think ‚oh hey my routine is good now, I could play 1 hour everyday‘ the truth is that this is a addiction. An addict cant just play 1 hour. And this is the reason why my own rule doesnt apply to games. I will NEVER play any game which COULD provoke an addiction, because this will let destroy my own rule. 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I do believe there is a bit of nuance in regards to the kind of games you approach. The reason we don't talk as much about book or movie addiction is because they offer more refined experiences overall that are approached by members of both "low" and "high" society. Video games however do not yet have these artistic qualities in such a wide manner that they can be accepted as meaningful and intellectual interactions, and much of that is because they are treated as products with marketing tricks attached to them. Some games stick out of course but in general the writing and the necessity of violence and mundane progression make many games seem like juvenile and meaningless activities. For an outsider I bet a game like League of Legends just look like kids playing with their toys, crashing them into eachother violently while they have a smile on their faces. This is personally one of the mindsets I've fallen into over the years which makes me look at video games now with slight discomfort.

Edited by Wildermyth
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